The number of motor vehicle thefts nationwide has fallen to its lowest level since the 1970s, according to a new report.

There were 37,045 short-term thefts of passenger and light commercial (PLC) vehicles last financial year, down 9%, the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council says. Some 32,070 vehicles were subsequently recovered.

The number of motorcycles stolen also fell 9%, to 3673. Fewer than half were recovered.

The five-year trend for PLC vehicles is even more pronounced, with short-term thefts down 12%, according to the council’s Theft Watch report.

However, since 2009/10 the number of motorcycles stolen for short-term use has grown 19%.

Older cars bear the brunt of thefts, with 60% of PLC vehicles stolen last financial year more than 10 years old. Another 21% were 5-10 years old.

About 63% of vehicles are fitted with Australian Standards-equivalent immobilisers; another 5% have other immobilisers.

The most popular targets for thieves are the Holden Commodore VT (660 thefts), Holden Commodore VE (613) and Hyundai Excel X3 (495).

Profit-motivated theft of PLC vehicles grew 2% to 10,561 incidents. These thieves prefer large vehicles such as the Holden Commodore VT (271 thefts), Toyota HiLux (254) and Toyota HiAce (185).

Profit-motivated theft has remained “relatively stable” over the past five years, the council says.